High-scoring guard, bigger lineup key for No. 2 Raiders

NWF State forward Elgin Cook tries to drive past a teammate during a preseason practice.

NICK TOMECEK / Daily News

By BRANDON WALKER / Daily News

Published: Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 08:26 PM.

NICEVILLE - Is bigger better?

Northwest Florida State head coach Steve Forbes certainly thinks so, and the roster he’s built for the 2012-13 basketball season certainly affirms that belief.

“A lot of people will tell you that size isn’t that big of a deal in basketball, but as a coach, I think bigger is always better,” said Forbes. “Bigger teams make you work harder for shots, they make you work harder on defense…If you’ve got a lot of size on your team, you have an easier time making life difficult for your opponent.”

Forbes’ philosophy will be put to the test this season, which begins Friday night with a visit from Snead State. A year ago, the Raiders reached the NJCAA National Championship Game behind the high-scoring antics of point guard Chris Jones, who aver-aged 18 points per game, and a bevy of talented long-range shooters. This year, Jones is back, but with him come 10 new faces, most of them towering above the 5-foot-11 Jones.

Entering this season leading the No. 2 team in the NJCAA’s first poll, Jones will still provide scoring punch from outside, but he’ll be able to rely on a roster that boasts seven players standing 6-6 or better, including swingman Elgin Cook.

Cook, who Forbes says has separated himself as one of the Raiders’ top players along with Jones and shooting guard Lamin Ful-ton, is a 6-6, 195-pound wing player who can deliver points in a number of ways, both with his outside shooting touch and ability to drive to the basket. The son of former NBA player Alvin Robertson, Cook provides length and versatility at the small forward posi-tion for the Raiders.

“Elgin is a really tough kid,” said Forbes of Cook. “He makes a lot of winning plays, he takes good shots. He can really finish and he’s smart with the basketball.”

Joining Cook in providing size for the 2-12-13 version of the Raiders will be centers Michael Chandler (6-10, 235) and Marvin Wil-liams (6-9, 270). Chandler is a rangy, athletic big man from Indianapolis while Chandler is a big, bulky power forward-type that could provide strength and toughness on the interior for the Raiders, whose size continues with forwards Arthur Edwards and Hershey Robinson, both 6-7; 6-9 center Luke Cothron; and Atlanta native Tevin Glass, a 6-8, 195-pound freshman from Atlanta.

“I think you’ll see us throw it down into the post more this season,” said Forbes. “We’ve got guys who can finish at the rim, guys who can defend inside. We’ll still play up-tempo basketball but we’ve got the ability to lean on our bigs, something we didn’t neces-sarily have last season.”

Still, the heart and soul of the team will likely be Jones, the explosive All-America guard who’s committed to play for Rick Pitino at the University of Louisville.

“Chris is a winner, plain and simple,” said Forbes. “He has been through the wars with us already, he knows what it takes. He’s our only player that we have back from last year who played a lot, but he’s a great player to have coming back.”

Fulton will draw the nod to start beside Jones in the backcourt, giving the Raiders a long-range threat to go along with the explo-siveness of Jones. A transfer from Division-I St. Peter’s, Fulton led his team with 59 three-pointers as a freshman before landing in Niceville.

“(Fulton) is a guy who has shown he can perform on the big stage,” said Forbes. “He’s a good basketball player, a great shooter.”

Guard Telvin Wilkerson, a 6-3, 200-pounder, will also see valuable minutes for the Raiders, whether he comes in for a three-guard set or provides relief for Jones, his high school teammate at Memphis Melrose.

On the heels of a season that included a school-record 32 wins, Forbes knows expectations are high. The Raiders will begin play this season as the top-ranked team from the Panhandle Conference and the No. 2 tam in the country. While such rankings can often come with intense pressure, it’s a welcome sight for Forbes.

“I like the ranking,” said Forbes. “It tells you that people are noticing you, and it tells you that people believe in this team. Last year, we started 11th and ended up at No. 2. This year, if we make a jump like that, then look where we are. We would be national championships, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Northwest Florida State head coach Steve Forbes certainly thinks so, and the roster he’s built for the 2012-13 basketball season certainly affirms that belief.

“A lot of people will tell you that size isn’t that big of a deal in basketball, but as a coach, I think bigger is always better,” said Forbes. “Bigger teams make you work harder for shots, they make you work harder on defense…If you’ve got a lot of size on your team, you have an easier time making life difficult for your opponent.”

Forbes’ philosophy will be put to the test this season, which begins Friday night with a visit from Snead State. A year ago, the Raiders reached the NJCAA National Championship Game behind the high-scoring antics of point guard Chris Jones, who aver-aged 18 points per game, and a bevy of talented long-range shooters. This year, Jones is back, but with him come 10 new faces, most of them towering above the 5-foot-11 Jones.

Entering this season leading the No. 2 team in the NJCAA’s first poll, Jones will still provide scoring punch from outside, but he’ll be able to rely on a roster that boasts seven players standing 6-6 or better, including swingman Elgin Cook.

Cook, who Forbes says has separated himself as one of the Raiders’ top players along with Jones and shooting guard Lamin Ful-ton, is a 6-6, 195-pound wing player who can deliver points in a number of ways, both with his outside shooting touch and ability to drive to the basket. The son of former NBA player Alvin Robertson, Cook provides length and versatility at the small forward posi-tion for the Raiders.

“Elgin is a really tough kid,” said Forbes of Cook. “He makes a lot of winning plays, he takes good shots. He can really finish and he’s smart with the basketball.”

Joining Cook in providing size for the 2-12-13 version of the Raiders will be centers Michael Chandler (6-10, 235) and Marvin Wil-liams (6-9, 270). Chandler is a rangy, athletic big man from Indianapolis while Chandler is a big, bulky power forward-type that could provide strength and toughness on the interior for the Raiders, whose size continues with forwards Arthur Edwards and Hershey Robinson, both 6-7; 6-9 center Luke Cothron; and Atlanta native Tevin Glass, a 6-8, 195-pound freshman from Atlanta.

“I think you’ll see us throw it down into the post more this season,” said Forbes. “We’ve got guys who can finish at the rim, guys who can defend inside. We’ll still play up-tempo basketball but we’ve got the ability to lean on our bigs, something we didn’t neces-sarily have last season.”

Still, the heart and soul of the team will likely be Jones, the explosive All-America guard who’s committed to play for Rick Pitino at the University of Louisville.

“Chris is a winner, plain and simple,” said Forbes. “He has been through the wars with us already, he knows what it takes. He’s our only player that we have back from last year who played a lot, but he’s a great player to have coming back.”

Fulton will draw the nod to start beside Jones in the backcourt, giving the Raiders a long-range threat to go along with the explo-siveness of Jones. A transfer from Division-I St. Peter’s, Fulton led his team with 59 three-pointers as a freshman before landing in Niceville.

“(Fulton) is a guy who has shown he can perform on the big stage,” said Forbes. “He’s a good basketball player, a great shooter.”

Guard Telvin Wilkerson, a 6-3, 200-pounder, will also see valuable minutes for the Raiders, whether he comes in for a three-guard set or provides relief for Jones, his high school teammate at Memphis Melrose.

On the heels of a season that included a school-record 32 wins, Forbes knows expectations are high. The Raiders will begin play this season as the top-ranked team from the Panhandle Conference and the No. 2 tam in the country. While such rankings can often come with intense pressure, it’s a welcome sight for Forbes.

“I like the ranking,” said Forbes. “It tells you that people are noticing you, and it tells you that people believe in this team. Last year, we started 11th and ended up at No. 2. This year, if we make a jump like that, then look where we are. We would be national championships, and that’s what it’s all about.”